I found this in yesterday's USA Today - interesting to read Tony's point of view.

Driver’s getaways help dissipate Cup frustrations

Nate Ryan @nateryan USA TODAY Sports

Mired in the worst start of his Sprint Cup career, Tony Stewart has left several NASCAR tracks in an unhappy mood after final practice on Saturdays this season. The three-time champion has returned to the garage Sundays in a chipper and jovial mood. It has everything to do with how well his car is running — but not the one that pays the bills at Stewart-Haas Racing. When Stewart scurries off to a dirt track somewhere in America on every Saturday night, his demeanor changes instantaneously when reconnected with the grass roots of Sprint Cars — something crew chief Steve Addington notices with each increasingly positive phone call and text message from his driver. “He gets in a good mood and comes in Sunday more optimistic,” Addington told USA TODAY Sports. “That’s big for the team to see that. He cuts up with the guys when he has those good nights.” Making this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup will require a kick-start for Stewart, who is ranked 22nd — five spots lower than his previous worst through seven races in 2001 — with a best finish of eighth. Adding-ton thinks dirt racing helps sharpen Stewart’s restarts in NASCAR. “He picks up on little things,” he said. This weekend’s getaway while NASCAR visits Kansas Speedway is Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway, which Stewart co-owns with Bob Sargent and Ken Schrader. After practicing and qualifying at Kansas, Stewart will aim for his fourth World of Outlaws victory today. He captured his first in July 2011 while in the midst of a summer slump that he rebounded from to win his third Cup title after nearly missing the Chase. As his own boss, Stewart, 41, is afforded the opportunity for the extracurricular activity, which sometimes was frowned upon and curtailed when he drove for Joe Gibbs Racing from 1999 to 2008. It was one of the perks of becoming his own boss as a co-owner of the No. 14 Chevrolet four years ago. “It’s like hitting a reset button for me,” he said. “It’s a lot of effort, a lot of money and a lot of time to do all this, but it’s worth it. I’m in a fortunate position where I have the resources to do it, but I also don’t have a wife and children. I have a German shepherd who doesn’t care where we go. ... It’s my release.” Stewart has enjoyed plenty of solid results while moonlighting with more frequency for the second consecutive season. After running 90 total races between NASCAR and Sprint Cars last season, he is on pace for 100 in 2013. This past Sunday, Stewart erased the memory of a frustrating 21st at Texas Motor Speedway with a top-10 in a winged Sprint Car race at Susquehanna Speedway Park in York Haven, Pa. A week earlier, he escaped a frustrating weekend at Martinsville Speedway by jetting to Selinsgrove (Pa.) Speedway, where he set a track record, won a heat and the main feature at a track he hadn’t raced before. Such nights help assuage the disappointment in Cup for Stewart, who was 17th at Martinsville the next day. A turnaround for Stewart will depend on improving the Chevrolets at Stewart-Haas. He has lobbied for increasing the teamwork with Hendrick Motorsports, which supplies the team’s chassis, engines and technical support for the No. 14 as well as for teammates Ryan Newman and Danica Patrick. At Kansas, Stewart has two victories and finished fifth in October in the track’s first race since a resurfacing. “When we find out what we’re missing, we’ll go on a roll with it,” Addington said.

Steve Addington figuring out what they are missing is a joke. He should have already done that. Something has to give and soon. Maybe attending Competition meetings at HMS would help, but having a crew chief who knows what he is doing is also important. Come on Zippy, help him out here. You are the competition director, HELP.

I agree....Steve Addington should be sure to have a front row center seat at those meetings.....this stabbing in the dark isn't cutting it! Along side should be Zippy, Matt and Tony Gibson, until they find out what is wrong and how to fix it! Since Paducah was rained out who knows how Tony will handle this weekend!?!?

I agree. But if we know Tony as only we can, he might have found a dirt track close to Kansas Speedway and still got his dirt in. Who wouldn't want Tony to drive their car, even at the last minute !!!!!

Resuming attendance at the competition meetings at HMS should be a top priority. Mr. Hendrick is usually at the race, have Tony speak with him there or call him on Monday. Let's get this going before we have a disaster and Tony doesn't make the chase. Zippy, he needs help, step up and help him.

In the article it says that Tony has lobbied for more teamwork with Hendrick so who in Stewart Haas is against it. It is time for Tony to put his foot down and demand that some of them go to these meetings and finally learn something about this car. I sure as heck don't see the Hendrick stable struggling.

TishR wrote:In the article it says that Tony has lobbied for more teamwork with Hendrick so who in Stewart Haas is against it. It is time for Tony to put his foot down and demand that some of them go to these meetings and finally learn something about this car. I sure as heck don't see the Hendrick stable struggling.

And when they do struggle during practice or qualifying, they fix it during the race!

TishR wrote:In the article it says that Tony has lobbied for more teamwork with Hendrick so who in Stewart Haas is against it. It is time for Tony to put his foot down and demand that some of them go to these meetings and finally learn something about this car. I sure as heck don't see the Hendrick stable struggling.

And when they do struggle during practice or qualifying, they fix it during the race!

I never figured 5-time would finish as well as he did. The Fords & Toyotas looked strongest in practice & qual, yet by the end of the race, here come 2 Hendrick's Chevys in the top-3. The highest finishing Ford was Bad-Brad (Penske) in 6th! The Roush-Fenway Fords were irrelevant by the end of the day.

I would have been better off with j's crystal ball on old batteries to make my picks.

I have seen Tony climb out of his car on a dirt track and the look on his face said it all. He was "Home" the smiling happy man I saw that night would have shocked most NASCAR fans. I hope that he does get a break and has a chance to play in the dirt as much as possible. The great benefit for his fans, we can get up close to a legend on his home turf, and not have to mortgage the house to do it.

it just seems weird that HMS support would go backwards for SHR. I wonder if SHR is looking at another power plant in the future as a reason HMS wouldn't give as much support as they once did?Anyone hear of any rumors on SHR looking elsewhere, or maybe going their own route? Wonder if something is going on behind the scenes?

i dont get where people think HMS is pulling back, SHR has every engineer and engine tuner at the disposal from HMS, its the personal that SHR has that limits them in what they do and that is a fact...... as far as the CC goes, they shouldnt have to hold someones hand til they get it right and that goes for all the CC's on pit road, i would not expect addington to give his secrets away to knaus, the fact of the matter is HMS is the richest team in nascar, they can afford the best people and that is because Hendrick wanted best since day one, he spent the money to make his teams strong, he was the first to mass produce engines and now thats the norm, they are all built the same, its what other teams do with persona that makes them different....

He's 41, NOT, 21 and I think, and will until I'm proven wrong, although he SAYS it takes away from the frustration, it is taking a BIGGER toll on his PHYSICAL well-being than most folks realize, including, Tony himself....take it from someone older that has competed at a very high level before. Extra "fun" does get taxing and I don't care what ANYBODY says.

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